REGINA — Hard on himself as most players are, Sean Monahan had made no excuses about his sub-par pre-season game on Saturday night against the Edmonton Oilers.

In Monday’s 4-2 loss to the Ottawa Senators at Saskatoon, No. 23 was noticeable — just not in the way Calgary Flames needed their sixth overall 2013 draft pick to be.

But at Regina’s Brandt Centre against the New York Islanders?

Monahan ignited the team’s offence, scoring two goals in the second period and capitalizing on the hard work of those around him to pace the group in a 4-2 split-squad victory, their third pre-season game in four nights.

Regardless, boarding the team charter back to Calgary with roster cuts on the horizon, Monahan was just as anxious as anybody.

“Obviously, I’m still young,” the 18-year-old centreman was saying. “I’m nervous and I don’t know what’s going to happen, but my goal is to play here. “So, we’ll see what happens.”

Whether or not Monahan stays or goes back to the Ottawa 67’s in the next few days (or weeks) is anyone’s guess. But, if you asked anyone in the assembled crowd of 4,189 in Regina (who have seen junior players like Jordan Eberle and Flames prospect Morgan Klimchuk roll through town), you’d likely get the same answer on his fate. Keep him.

Earlier in the day, after the game, and, really, since the start of 2013-14 training camp, head coach Bob Hartley has been raving.

“For such a young centreman, I think he’s adapting real well to NHL hockey,” Hartley said at the morning skate. “He still has things to learn which is perfectly normal for any kids that age. He doesn’t get rattled. He’s very poised . . . we have big plans for this young man.

“I don’t know Sean a lot but every day, I’m having fun watching him.”

On Tuesday, the fun began with the Monahan show in the second period. Hands-down, the kid’s impact changed the outcome of the game.

Monahan’s first strike came on an Islanders’ line change 1:11 into the middle frame when he accepted a feed from Corban Knight and found an open corner above veteran NHL goalie Evgeni Nabokov — a nice goal, pre-season or not.

Sure, he’d taken a hooking penalty immediately after and, of course, John Tavares — one of the best players on the planet — scored (Later, Monahan fessed up, “I guess I’ve gotta learn how quick the power-plays are in the NHL”). But he made up for it.

Shortly after, Flames veteran (and new resident tough guy?) Matt Stajan capitalized on a turnover up the boards to make it 2-1. Calgary centreman Mikael Backlund put the group up 3-1 thanks to some hard work done by prospects Emile Poirier and Corban Knight grinding along the boards.

Then, with 48.9 seconds left in the second, Monahan jumped on an open puck chipped out by Sven Baertschi and made no mistake.

“The first one, I kind of knew I was going to go shelf there,” Monahan said. “But the second one, I was just trying to get a stick on it and get it to that side of the net since the goalie was going to slide over.”

Monahan wasn’t the only prospect who shone against an Islanders team still trying to find its legs in its first pre-season clash.

Max Reinhart, playing shifts at centre and on the wing, battled along with long-shot Josh Jooris (who had a few bursts of speed and dug in front of New York’s net), defenceman Mark Cundari (who had the hit of the evening on Islanders winger Boulton in the second period), and Baertschi.

But also impressing was the play of goalie Karri Ramo.

Although he was barely sweating after being tested just five times by the Islanders in the first period, Ramo fell into a groove in the second — especially while the Flames were trying to kill off Monahan’s penalty. With Tavares, Ryan Strome, and Matt Moulson playing keep-away, they unleashed four different attempts from four different angles and Ramo stopped all of them.

Although Tavares eventually put one past him on that advantage and setup Moulson on a third-period power play, there was no question Ramo looked more comfortable than Saturday night in Edmonton.

Immediately after the game, Hartley was on the phone to find out what happened in the other split-squad game in Calgary and was already planning to begin their discussions on the plane.Early Wednesday morning, Hartley is meeting with general manager Jay Feaster to continue the decision-making process.

“There are some kids that put money in the bank tonight,” Hartley said. “I don’t know how long it’s going to take them, but some kids were really impressive. Now, we have to put everything in the blender.

“We’re going to come up with our final decision and we’re going to start making some phone calls.”

ICE CHIPS . . . Flames D Chris Butler drew in for blueline prospect Pat Sieloff on Tuesday ... Sieloff broke his cheekbone in Monday’s fight against the Ottawa Senators and will be assessed by Calgary doctors when the team returns on Wednesday ... “That’s sad because here’s a young man who put in his time, showed up to camp in great shape,” Hartley said. ... D Ryan Culkin started Tuesday’s game but left with an injury.

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